Power transmission member

ABSTRACT

A power transmission member ( 20 ) is provided by a spline rolling method and apparatus ( 36 ) that includes a pair of racks ( 38 ) for providing splines ( 24 ) with ends ( 34 ) opposing each other in a precisely spaced relationship at an annular groove ( 30 ) that is utilized to provide snap ring or other fastener positioning for axially locating the member during use.

This is a divisional of application Ser. No. 09/399,447 filed on Sep. 20, 1999 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,250,123.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to a power transmission member having opposed spline ends at an annular groove such as for holding a snap ring.

BACKGROUND ART

Snap ring grooves have previously been formed in splined power transmission members by material removal such as grinding. Furthermore, U.S. Pat. No. 4,644,772 Killop et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 4,689,980 Killop et al. disclose toothed racks that have elongated blade members with a progressively increasing height for deforming a workpiece to form the entirety of an annular groove with a uniform cross-section. Such forming necessarily exerts significant pressure on the elongated blade members and results in wear that can require early replacement of the associated toothed racks.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

One object of the present invention is to provide an improved power transmission member.

In carrying out the above object, the power transmission member of the invention has a generally round shaft with a central axis and rolled splines spaced about and extending along the central axis of the shaft. An annular groove is provided in the shaft with the splines located on opposite sides thereof along the central axis. The annular groove has side surfaces that are spaced from each other along the central axis of the shaft. The splines have axial ends that oppose each other and that are spaced from each other axially along the central axis slightly less than the axial spacing along the central axis between the side surfaces of the annular groove.

The above construction as is hereinafter described lends itself to economical manufacturing with the spline ends precisely located to position a snap ring used to axially position the power transmission member during use.

In the preferred construction of the power transmission member, the ends of the splines are spaced from each other in the range of 0.002 to 0.010 of an inch (i.e., 0.005 to 0.025 of a centimeter) less than the spacing between the side walls of the annular groove.

The annular groove of the power transmission member is also preferably provided with an annular root surface that is work hardened to provide strengthening.

The objects, features and advantages of the present invention are readily apparent from the following detailed description of the best mode for carrying out the invention when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a power transmission member that has splines rolled with ends that oppose each other at an annular groove in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partial sectional view taken through the power transmission member along the direction of line 2—2 in FIG. 1 to illustrate the cross-section of the annular groove in relationship to the opposed spline ends.

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention to perform the method thereof for rolling the splines in the workpiece.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the construction of a rack utilized in the method by the apparatus to roll the splines in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 5 is a partial top plan view taken along the direction of line 5—5 in FIG. 4 to illustrate a tapered leading end of an elongated die of the apparatus.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 1 illustrating a workpiece in which the splines are rolled to provide the power transmission member.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken in the same direction as FIG. 2 to illustrate the manner in which the elongated die of the rack is initially received within the annular groove to provide alignment.

FIG. 8 is a view that illustrates headstock and tailstock centers that rotatably support the workpiece along a rotational axis for the spline rolling.

FIG. 9 is a partial schematic view taken on an enlarged scale from FIG. 8 to illustrate the manner in which the headstock and tailstock centers allow the workpiece to axially float along the rotational axis during the initial alignment with the pair of racks utilized to provide the splining.

FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIG. 9 but showing the manner in which relative movement between the headstock and tailstock centers toward each other axially fixes the workpiece along the rotational axis during the spline rolling.

FIG. 11 is a view taken in the same direction as FIG. 2 to illustrate the manner in which the spline ends are rolled against side surfaces of the elongated die of each rack.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

With reference to FIG. 1 of the drawings, a power transmission member for transmitting torque is generally indicated by 20 and includes a generally round shaft 22 having a rotational axis A and rolled splines 24 provided on an inward end portion 26 and a terminal end portion 28 of the shaft 22. An annular groove 30 in the shaft 22 is located between the inward and terminal end portions 26 and 28 with the splines 24 located on opposite sides thereof along the rotational axis A. The annular groove 30 as best illustrated in FIG. 2 has side surfaces 32 that are spaced from each other along the rotational axis of the shaft by a width Wg. The splines 24 have axial ends 34 that oppose each other at the annular groove 30 and that are spaced from each other axially along the central axis A by a width Ws that is slightly less than the axial spacing along the central axis A between the side surfaces 32 of the groove. These axial spline ends 34 may function to provide positioning of a snap ring or other locator that is utilized to axially position the power transmission member 20 along the rotational axis A during use.

In the preferred construction of the power transmission member 20 illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the ends 34 of the splines 24 are spaced from each other by a width Ws in the range of 0.02 to 0.010 of an inch (i.e., 0.005 to 0.025 of a centimeter) less than the spacing of the width Wg between the side surfaces 32 of the annular groove.

It is also most preferable that the annular groove 30 have an annular root surface 35 that is work hardened to provide strengthening that prevents breakage of the terminal end 28 of the power transmission member upon loading.

The splined power transmission member 20 described above in connection with FIGS. 1 and 2 is manufactured on apparatus 36 that is illustrated in FIG. 3 and performs the method of the invention as is hereinafter more fully described. This apparatus 36 incorporates a pair of toothed forming racks 38 whose construction is illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5 and which also involves another aspect of the present invention. A pair of the forming racks 38 utilized within the apparatus 36 as is hereinafter more fully described operates on a workpiece 20′ as illustrated in FIG. 6 to provide spline rolling in a manner that is further illustrated in FIGS. 7-10.

With reference to FIG. 3, the method for spline rolling in accordance with the invention, the apparatus 36 for performing the method and the construction of the racks 38 will be described in an integrated manner to facilitate an understanding of the different aspects of the invention. Apparatus 36 includes a vertically extending base 40 that has a pair of forwardly extending base portions 42 extending from a rear base portion 44 to define a workspace 46. The workpiece 20′ is rotatably supported along the rotational axis A within the workspace 46 by a headstock 48 and a tailstock 50 that will be hereinafter more fully described in connection with FIGS. 8-10. A pair of the racks 38 that are constructed as illustrated in FIG. 4 are supported as shown in FIG. 3 by a pair of slides 52 movable along the base portions 42 on opposite sides of the workpiece 20′. A pair of actuators 54 mounted on the upper end of the base 40 have connectors 56 that extend downwardly to the pair of slides 52 to provide vertical movement thereof for the spline forming. The slides 52 are moved in the opposite directions of each other as shown by arrows 58 for the spline rolling, such that the lower right forming rack 38 is moved upwardly on the right side of the workpiece 20′ and the upper left rack 38 is moved downwardly on the left side of the workpiece 20′.

For a more complete understanding of the machine construction of the apparatus 36 illustrated in FIG. 3, reference should be had to U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,970,768; 5,983,690; and 5,987,953, the entire disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

With combined reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, each of the racks 38 has an elongated shape along the direction it is moved as illustrated by arrow 58. A forming face 60 of each rack 38 includes teeth 62 that are spaced along the direction of movement of the rack and extend generally transversely thereto to provide roll forming of the splines in the workpiece as previously described. Each rack 38 also includes an elongated die 64 that projects from the forming face 60 intermediate the ends of the teeth at each lateral side of the rack. The elongated die 64 as illustrated in FIG. 11 is received within the annular groove 30 in the workpiece during the rolling of the splines and has side surfaces 66 that face away from each other in a parallel relationship. The side surfaces 66 of the elongated die 64 are spaced from each other by a width Wd that is slightly less than the spacing by the width Wg between the side walls 32 of the annular groove 30 in the workpiece. As such, the pressure exerted on the workpiece by the rack teeth 62 to form the splines 24 forces the material against the side surfaces 66 of the elongated die adjacent the splines at the outer radial extremity of the annular groove 30 to form the spline ends 34. The spline ends 34 thus are precisely located with respect to each other to provide positioning of an associated fastener or snap ring that is utilized with the splined power transmission member. More specifically, the spacing Wd between the side surfaces 66 of the elongated die 64 is in the range of 0.002 to 0.010 of an inch (i.e., 0.005 to 0.025 of a centimeter) less than the spacing Wg between the side walls 32 of the annular groove 30. As such, the spline ends 34 are spaced from each other that same distance less than the spacing between the side walls 32 of the annular groove 30.

The workpiece 20′ illustrated in FIG. 6 is rotatably supported by the apparatus 36 shown in FIG. 3 in a manner that is further illustrated in FIG. 8. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 8, the headstock 48 and tailstock 50 include associated centers 68 and 70 that rotatably support the workpiece 20′ along the rotational axis A. The apparatus 36 includes a headstock positioner 72 that axially positions the headstock 48 and its associated center 68 along the rotational axis A, and the apparatus also includes a tailstock positioner 74 that positions the tailstock 50 and its associated center 70 along the rotational axis A. During the initial portion of each spline rolling cycle, the headstock and tailstock positioners 72 and 74 position the headstock and tailstock centers 68 and 70 as shown in FIG. 9 so as to permit the workpiece 20′ to axially float along the rotational axis A. Furthermore, as illustrated in FIGS. 4, 5 and 7, the elongated die 64 of each forming rack 38 has a tapered leading end 76 that projects forwardly from the teeth 62 and is initially received within the annular groove 30 of the workpiece 20′ to provide alignment of each rack with the workpiece along the rotational axis A as it is allowed to axially float therealong as shown in FIG. 9. After such initial alignment, the headstock and tailstock positioners 72 and 74 provide movement of the headstock 48 and tailstock 50 so that their associated centers 68 and 70 axially fix the workpiece 20′ along the rotational axis A as shown in FIG. 10. Thereafter, continued movement of the racks 38 in opposite directions as each other as shown by the arrows 58 in FIG. 3 provides the rolling of the splines and formation of the spline ends 34 with the spacing previously described in connection with FIG. 11. After each cycle of spline rolling, the formed power transmission member 20 is removed from between the headstock and tailstock and the rack slides 52 are moved by the slide actuators 54 from their partial phantom line indicated positions shown in FIG. 3 back to their original positions shown by solid line representation so as to then be ready for the next cycle.

As shown by combined reference to FIGS. 4, 5 and 11, the elongated die 64 of each rack 38 preferably has a tip 78 that engages the annular root surface 35 of the annular groove 30 during the spline rolling to provide work hardening thereof that provides strengthening. This strengthening of the annular root surface 35 as previously mentioned prevents the terminal end portion 28 of the power transmission member illustrated in FIG. 1 from breaking off at the annular groove 30. The die member tip 78 projecting from the forming face 60 of rack 38 will have a slightly upwardly inclined orientation from the leading end of the rack toward its trailing end so the work hardening will be progressive.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, each rack 38 has a preferred construction including a pair of elongated rack portions 80 each of which has spaced tooth portions 62′. The elongated die 64 of each rack 38 includes an elongated die member 82 positioned between the pair of elongated rack portions 80 and projecting therefrom so as to provide the spline end forming previously described as well as preferably also providing the work hardening of the annular root surface as also previously described. A connection collectively indicated by 84 includes connectors 86 as well as alignment pins 88 that secure and properly align the pair of rack portions 80 and the elongated die member 82.

It should be noted that the spline roll while illustrated with axially extending splines can also be performed to provide splines with a helical twist.

While the best mode for carrying out the invention has been described in detail, those familiar with the art to which this invention relates will recognize various alternative designs and embodiments for practicing the invention as defined by the following claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A power transmission member comprising: a generally round shaft having a central axis and rolled splines spaced about and extending along the central axis of the shaft; an annular groove in the shaft with the splines located on opposite sides thereof along the central axis, and the annular groove having side surfaces that are spaced from each other along the central axis of the shaft; and the splines having axial ends that oppose each other and that are spaced from each other axially along the central axis slightly less than the axial spacing along the central axis between the side surfaces of the annular groove.
 2. A power transmission member as in claim 1 wherein the annular groove has an annular root surface that is work hardened to provide strengthening.
 3. A power transmission member comprising: a generally round shaft having a central axis and rolled splines spaced about and extending along the central axis of the shaft; an annular groove in the shaft with the splines located on opposite sides thereof along the central axis, and the annular groove having side surfaces that are spaced from each other along the central axis of the shaft; the splines having ends that oppose each other and that are spaced from each other slightly less than the spacing between the side surfaces of the annular groove; and the ends of the splines being spaced from each other in the range of 0.002 to 0.010 of an inch (i.e., 0.005 to 0.025 of a centimeter) less than the spacing between the side surfaces of the annular groove.
 4. A power transmission member comprising: a generally round shaft having a central axis and rolled splines spaced about and extending along the central axis of the shaft; an annular groove in the shaft with the splines located on opposite sides thereof along the central axis, the annular groove having side surfaces that are spaced from each other along the central axis of the shaft, and the annular groove having an annular root surface that is work hardened to provide strengthening; and the splines having ends that oppose each other and that are spaced from each other in the range of 0.002 to 0.010 of an inch (i.e., 0.005 to 0.025 of a centimeter) less than the spacing between the side surfaces of the annular groove. 